I’m taking this post from a friend’s Facebook wall as he recently shared. His daughter has been amazing at battling some medical issues and the story below is about the experiences shared by a woman who relies on the same type of IV feedings (TPN) that my friend’s daughter relies on for nutrition. I share this post because I want to challenge people to just think before they open their mouths and give their opinions or share their thoughts on a subject. Be aware that you may (and more than likely don’t) know all the details about a situation. The facts you’re not aware of could be (and probably are) crucial to having a clear understanding of the reality you see in front of you through your limited and biased perception of another person’s life.

I don’t want people to not talk to each other and not interact, but do so from a level understanding of what you may be sharing. Unclear about something? Respectfully and sincerely ask someone for insight and more information. Don’t assume you know history that you’ve never been associated with in your life. Enough talking by me. Read the shared story and think twice (or more!) before you open your mouth next time.

“I stopped at the grocery on my way home tonight and set a new record for the number of people who felt the need to offer commentary on my appearance and weight (it’s usually only 1 or 2 people per trip – today was ridiculous). For the record, I’m the heaviest I’ve been in well over a year AND I’m wearing horizontal stripes. I’ve done all I can do to keep fellow shoppers from having to suffer through looking at me while shopping. I’m sorry I can’t shop in the middle of the night so they don’t have to see what is in my cart.

[Holding box of cookies in one hand and doughnuts in the other, pondering which mess and sugar-high I will regret the least when giving them to my students tomorrow as a reward for surviving ISTEP]

Random Man I Don’t Know: “You need to buy 10 of each of those and maybe you’ll get a little meat on you. Men like women with curves.”

[Broken-hearted in the Jello aisle at the discontinuation of peach Jello, I pick up box of sugar-free cherry Jello and realize I grabbed the wrong one – reach for full-strength Jello…]

Random Lady I Don’t Know: “Fad diets aren’t good for you. You’re already too thin. You need to buy some real food, not Jello. You need to shop the perimeter of the store and only eat real foods and a lot of meat to fatten you up a little bit. Stay out of the middle aisles with all the fake food.”

Me: *** Resist urge to point out she’s in the Jello aisle with me, ignore her, and walk away. ***

[Pick up carton of skim milk]

Random Store Employee: “That’s the last carton of skim milk because we’re waiting on a truck. You don’t need skim milk, so why don’t you buy the 4% and leave that for someone who needs diet milk.”

Me: *** Put the skim milk in my cart and walk away. ***

[Pick up container of fat-free cottage cheese. Turn around and wait. Look at every person in aisle. Wait for the comments. Keep waiting. Nothing happens. Determine cottage cheese is random-person-approved. Put cottage cheese in my cart.]

[Pick up case of bottled water.]

Random store employee: “That water weighs more than you do. Let me lift it for you.”

Me: *** Refuse and then ‘accidentally’ stomp on his toe when he tries to pull it out of my hands despite my refusal. ***

[Pick up case of Diet Root Beer.]

Random Woman I Don’t Know: “I can tell you have anorexia. My friend’s daughter had it, too. You shouldn’t drink diet soda. It just makes your anorexia worse. Why don’t you give me your phone number and I’ll get the name of the place my friend’s daughter went for treatment. I can call you with the name so you can go there!”

Me: *** At this point, I lost it. I’m wearing horizontal stripes, damn it, and I’m allowed to walk in public with, gasp, my body! This woman was the last straw. ***

Me: “Oh my gosh, are you a doctor?!?”

Random Woman I Don’t Know: “No, I ju…”

Me: *** interrupting *** “I’m so glad you’re a doctor!! I need your help! My IV pump settings are messed up and I can’t reach my doctor to fix them!” *** yank IV pump and bag of IV fluids out of my purse where they were hidden and shove them in her face *** “Please help me reset this! I’m so glad you are a doctor and stopped me to offer your medical advice. You are my hero!”

Random Woman I Don’t Know: “I’m not a doctor. Oh, you poor thing. You have cancer. I’m so sorry!”

Me: “Oh my God! I HAVE CANCER?!?! I HAD NO IDEA! Oh, God! Am I going to die? Are you an angel from God sent to tell me I’m dying?”

Random Woman I Don’t Know: “No! I thought you had cancer because… well, I… why do you have that IV?”

Me: “You’re the doctor. You tell me. You already diagnosed anorexia and cancer. Surely you can diagnose this, too. Or you could mind your own business.”

Me: *** walks away. resists urge to go find all the other people and tell them off, too ***

[Bag with skim milk falls over onto the floor in the self check-out lane and it busted open all over the floor. I’m not sure which one of us that karma was aimed for, but Random Store Employee who told me not to buy it is who came to clean up the mess.]

I’ve ALWAYS ignored and walked away every single time I go to the grocery alone. (Every. Single. Time. At least once every trip!) I think I’m going to start being the not-bigger person from now on. That lady’s horrified face when I shoved my IV pump into her hands was worth every degrading comment I’ve received over my entire lifetime! Can I start walking up to random people at the grocery and offering them medical and nutrition advice? Pretty please? It’s only fair.”

A friend of mine recently posted about her experience dining out with her family at a local restaurant. Perhaps much to the surprise of the waitress’s intention, she was boldly insulting the guests she was serving based on her actions and statements. I really encourage you to go read her post, “My Husband Is Not My Other Child“. If you need a little something to convince you, read these words and let them soak in.

My husband is more than a glorified door stop with a wallet. I was insulted she thought so little of him. That was it. Insulted.

How do you see your husband? How do you reference him to your friends or maybe even complete strangers?

You see, as a husband myself there are just a few things I really need from my wife. Her respect, encouragement and her loyalty. If I know those three things are in place, I can probably go without just about anything else whether it be physical, emotional or even dare I say it… sexual needs.

Do I believe there are far too many men in our society that don’t live up to the expectations and needs of being a husband and a father? Absolutely. Do I believe that popular culture and media and also done their part to tear down and destroy the image of an intelligent and capable father in the home? Absolutely? Do I think one of the drawbacks of extremists in the women’s rights movement is an emasculation of men? Right again.

So, let me ask you again. How do you view your husband? How do you talk about your husband to your friends and around complete strangers? I can almost guarantee you 100%, if you will respect, encourage and support him (even if he may not deserve it right now!) he’ll probably start to redevelop and remature into the man he’s supposed to be for you and your family.

One of the most powerful movies I’ve seen in recent times that really tells a character story has been “American Sniper” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, America’s most deadly sniper in history. As Cooper will say about his effort in the film, his goal was to tell the story of American soldiers and their families. Yes, of course this movie is a military movie and therefore depicts lots of violence and language, but I don’t think any of it is gratuitous. That’s very important to me. I’m not squeamish around violence or language when it depicts the reality of the world we live in.

I watched “American Sniper” in the theater with a friend, but my family has not seen it. I’m looking forward to watching it this evening with my family and getting their feedback.

I think the movie sells itself if you’re at all interested in a military themed movie that develops the story and characters, and this movie only more so because it’s based on a real person and their experience in life. Warner Bros, who produced the film, doesn’t need my help selling it honestly. But what I’m wanting to get across with this post is the following:

“American Sniper” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and includes the film in high definition on Blu-ray disc, a DVD, and a digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet. Fans can also own “American Sniper” via purchase from digital retailers.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will donate a portion of the proceeds across physical and digital sales to Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). One dollar of each purchase will be donated up to $1,000,000 from April 21, 2015 through December 31, 2015, void in Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi and South Carolina. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.com.

The mission of Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more about WWP’s life-saving programs and services, please visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs.

Everything I know about the Wounded Warrior Project makes it something that I want to help promote and support. The fact that we have the opportunity to potentially raise ONE MILLION dollars for their effort by barely lifting a finger seems like a no-brainer. You’ve got the opportunity to have a copy of this powerful film in your collection and contribute to this organization. That’s some good news right? Take the time now to visit the Wounded Warrior Project website and connect with them on all their social media accounts (found in the footer on their site).

Some more good news is that I’ve got two copies of the film to giveaway to some of my readers. I love the fact that I’ve been given an opportunity like this by participating with Grace Hill Media to promote this film and this opportunity. But, here’s what I’d like to have happen. If you end up winning one of the copies of this film from my website, I’d love to have you commit to taking at least a significant portion of the money you would have spent on this film and donate it to Wounded Warriors above and beyond this promotion.

All you need to do to enter this contest is one of the items below: (gain more options by doing all of them!)

Watch this exclusive video below from Warner Bros. with the actors Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller talking about the film and their efforts to achieve authenticity of the story of soldiers and their families.

Various Photos from “American Sniper” starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller and directed by Clint Eastwood.